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Oak Park D97 outlines safety procedures and specific guidance for possible immigration-enforcement encounters
Summary
District administrators briefed the board on safety protocols in response to recent ICE activity in the region, describing drills, visitor procedures, front-office instructions for ICE encounters, and selective school-community notifications tied to proximity and impact.
District 97 administrators presented a safety update at the Oct. 14 board meeting that laid out existing protocols and steps taken in response to recent reports of immigration-enforcement (ICE) activity in Chicagoland neighborhoods including Oak Park.
Felicia and Patrick (district administrators) described the district's standing response protocols: annual drills and training, visitor sign-in and ID badges, staff vesting/outdoor supervision, and procedures for securing buildings. They said staff run drills annually, use ID badges and visitor sign-in, and remind teachers about door procedures and supervision practices.
Administrators explained a layered notification protocol: if an incident occurs near a particular school, that school's leadership and affected stakeholders receive targeted communication rather than a districtwide message; notifications are issued based on proximity and likely impact. They also reported that front-office staff were given specific written instructions outlining steps to follow if an ICE official appeared at a school after hours.
Parents in the meeting thanked staff for guidance on how to talk to children about ICE activity and asked whether all schools would be notified of every sighting; staff said notifications are targeted based on the proximity of the sighting and the potential impact on a particular school community.
Board members and administrators emphasized that the district will continue to refine communications and training and will work to reassure staff and families while balancing the need to avoid unnecessary districtwide alarms.
